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How to charge a family an extra fee or bill them for an amount owed (Misc - Debit)

  • Updated

To bill a family for something they owe, such as a late fee, a uniform or a fine, add a Misc - Debit to their account: on the Account Overview, click Add Transaction, choose Misc - Debit, enter the amount and click Add. TeamSideline doesn't send invoices to families; they see the balance and pay it online with Pay Balance when Enable Pay Balance is set to Yes.

Applies to: Org admins with the Add Transaction permission · All plans · Customer (family) accounts; online payment needs Enable Pay Balance set to Yes

Where: Customers > Account Management > Search > (customer) > Account Overview > Add Transaction

Add the charge

  1. Go to Customers > Account Management > Search, find the family and click a name to open the Account Overview.
  2. Under Account Balance, click Add Transaction.
  3. In Transaction Type, choose Misc - Debit.
  4. If an Associated Organization list appears, choose the organization whose payment gateway should receive the payment, or Not Applicable / Default.
  5. Enter the Amount.
  6. Optional: in Program, choose the program the charge is for. Cash flow and settlement reports then show that program for the payment.
  7. In Comments (up to 100 characters), say what the charge is for, for example "the spring uniform fee". Families see it.
  8. To email the family, check Send Confirmation Email to Customer. The box remembers your last choice.
  9. Click Add.

What you'll see: "Transaction Added." The Misc - Debit appears in the account's transactions, and the balance goes up by the amount.

How the family pays

  • With Enable Pay Balance set to Yes on Programs > Configurations > General, a family who owes sees a Balance Due tile on their account page. It opens their Order History, which shows "You currently have a balance due of" the amount and a Pay Balance button. They pay by card: at least $5, or the whole balance if it's less.
  • The confirmation email, "Transaction Confirmation | (your organization)", says "(Your organization) has added a (transaction type) for $(amount) to your account." and, when you entered Comments, "This transaction is for (comments)." It goes to every parent on the account with an email address. It has no payment link, so families sign in on your website to pay.
  • To send a statement, click Print Account Statement on the Account Overview. You get a PDF Customer Account Statement listing the account's transactions and the amount due. There's no button to email it, so attach the PDF to your own email, or print it.
  • To take a card payment yourself, use Place Order > Add Balance Payment. For a check or cash, record it with Add Transaction and Payment - Check or Payment - Cash.

Billing many families, or sending invoices

  • To charge many accounts at once, use the Transaction Import (Administration > Import Data), as How to add credits and debits to many accounts at once (Transaction Import) explains. Its Associated Org column works like the Associated Organization list above.
  • To tell families who owe about their balance, find them and email them as How to find customers who owe a balance (reports, dashboard and email) explains.
  • TeamSideline doesn't create invoices for families. The Invoices dashboard (Enterprise plan, Invoicing module) is for invoices to associated organizations that TeamSideline sets up, not to families.

If it doesn't work

  • There's no Add Transaction button. Your admin role doesn't include the Add Transaction permission.
  • Misc - Debit isn't in Transaction Type. Transaction filters on your admin user limit the types you can add. An admin who manages users can change them on your Filters tab.
  • "Transaction Type required." or "Amount required." Choose Misc - Debit and enter an amount above $0.
  • The family can't find a way to pay. Set Enable Pay Balance to Yes on Programs > Configurations > General. If you see "Credit Card processing must be enabled for Balance Payments.", set Enable Credit Cards? to Yes too.
  • The family sees "The amount must be at least $5.00 when making a payment." They entered less than $5 while owing more. They pay at least $5, or you take the payment with Add Balance Payment, which has no minimum.
  • You added the wrong amount. Click the red X (Delete Transaction) next to the Misc - Debit and confirm, then add it again. Deleting needs the Delete Transaction permission.

Good to know

  • To lower what a family owes instead, add a Misc - Credit. With GL accounts on your plan, you can record a GL Account on the credit.
  • If Balance Block is Yes on Programs > Configurations > General, a family who owes can't place new orders until they pay. It doesn't stop admins.
  • A Misc - Debit isn't charged to a card automatically. It stays on the account until the family pays or you record a payment.
  • A registration's price can't be changed after checkout: Edit Enrollment has no fee field. To bill more for a registration, for example a fee that Max $ Per Family waived, add a Misc - Debit and choose that Program.
  • Each Misc - Debit you add is recorded in the Activity Log (Enhanced plan and up).
  • A card refund can't be undone: Refund - Credit Card and Void - Credit Card lines have no Delete Transaction button. If you refunded too much, add a Misc - Debit for the difference, and the family pays it like any other balance.

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